No confidence in shop-am I overreacting?

[Kiwi Stoker]

Don't bother going back, it won't be worth it to get a refund. The bike technically is OK it's just a stupid mechanic and assembling. Pedals are not included in the price of a bike, so really you would only get a refund on the installation costs and I don't imagine that would be huge.

Find another bike shop, ask what training do the mechanics go through (Shimano does a training course, so does Specialized) and see their certificates. Ask other cyclists for store reccommendations.

I know of one lady whose crank was mis-installed and on a sprint her whole crank arm came off attached to her shoe. Lucky she had just started the sprint so she was able to stop safety. She had only had the bike 3 days.

The bike wasn't damaged so we all told her "find someone else to look after it and never go back to that store unless it's under new ownership".

If you are really still angry about this write to Trek advising them about the poor service from this shop for their product. They won't like that their brand is being mis-handled and probably will talk to them.

[Melalvai]

Pick a mechanic, not a shop. Try to get recommendations from others who have had good experiences and respect their mechanic.

[Catrin]

I agree with the others, it is about the wrenches at the shop. Find a good one that other cyclists recommend and have them go over the bike carefully. Sorry this happened, glad you are ok

[OakLeaf]

That s*cks. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

I agree - you won't likely be able to get your money back. Ask around and find another shop. Training and certification aren't the only questions - they have to care enough to apply their training and pay attention to what they're doing. I'd be surprised if Trek authorizes anyone to assemble a Madone who hasn't been through some type of Trek seminar.

Club riders usually know who the good mechanics are. Ask a few people you know. It shouldn't cost that much to have a competent mechanic check the bike over (I would think $75 or less) - unfortunately I think you're just going to have to eat that much.

[limewave]

I agree that you should ask around. There are a lot of guys and some gals in our local clubs that enjoy working on bikes and are very good at it. They're usually willing to work on someone's bike in exchange for a six pack or baked goods.

[Dogmama]

I know of one lady whose crank was mis-installed and on a sprint her whole crank arm came off attached to her shoe. Lucky she had just started the sprint so she was able to stop safety. She had only had the bike 3 days.

That is what happened to me - it was the entire arm.

The shop owner assured me that their mechanics had been through the schooling, plus had gone through special Shimano Di2 schools. Yet, when I picked the bike up, nobody could show me how to remove the unit to charge it up. I ended up getting the info from U-tube.

Hard to find a good mechanic but I know a federal judge who is also a tri-athlete. I'll ask her.

I guess my concerns are other "hidden" types of things that could potentially be dangerous. But I also have several other bad things happening in my life right now, so I know I'm not thinking with my most sensible brain. That's why I enlisted my TE sisters!

This is a regular Trek store - that is all they sell. I have been waiting for a carbon fiber stem for over 3 months. After that comes in, I'm going to find me a mechanic. I will need a relationship with a good wrench anyway, since I'm never going back there. And I will write a letter to Trek.

[azfiddle]

Hey Dogmama,

There is another store that carries Treks on the east side of Tucson(Broadway Bikes). One of my friends goes there, and I can ask her about the mechanics. I think Fair Wheel also works on Treks and they have a great reputation.

If you get that thing fixed- let's go for a ride sometime!